98

2016 Sheng Olympics
This was fantastic! I opened the package and gave these dried orange leaves a sniff. I took in a dry tobacco and leather aroma. I could note a slight sweetness lingering in the background. The chunk I had was too big to fit fully in the Jianshui, so I propped the lid atop it while the tea warmed inside the pot. I gave it quite some time to sit and soak up steam, and then I lifted the lid and a very unique scent arose from my teapot. I took in a savory note of a sweet and sour combo of Cornbread and Teriyaki. I could also pick up some leather and an underlying menthol aroma. This warmed tea brought the memory of Skoal to mind for some reason. I washed the leaves once and prepared for brewing. The tea still didn’t fit, so I hit it with the scorching spring water and it finally sunk into the pot. The steeped leaves gave off a completely different and powerful aroma. My tea room was filled with some smoke, tobacco, oak, resin, and the underlying sweet syrup of red fruits. This was going to be a very heavy tea. The first sip was sweet, oily, and thick. I was picking up tons of huigan and mouth action. The flavor began with some oak wood, honey, and sugarcane syrup. The body was thick and heavy with tons of flavor. This is an exceptional aged sheng. The brew grew with some astringency that lingered in the background. This tea was packed full of sharp tones and tons of flavor. I was picking up a drying leather, warm honey, oak wood, tobacco, and ripe fruit. The huigan was massive; I was almost drowning in it. The flavors lasted well after drinking, and a slight cooling sensation persisted on the tongue. The later steeping sessions kept the consistent heavy bodied flavor profile; however, a slight sour tone appeared in the aftertaste. The qi was an odd one. The feeling began in the mind as a warming and slowing feeling. The sensation mostly stayed in the head and surrounded the mind. The feeling progressed and bestowed a clouded mind. This qi slowed me down and relaxed me. The qi disappeared quickly, and my head began to clear up shortly after the session. I really enjoyed this tea. My favorite aged shengs are the ones with a thick and heavy body. This is a tea I could see myself drinking regularly. I can only imagine what another decade will do to this.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BCCFgnDTGS2/?taken-by=haveteawilltravel

Flavors: Honey, Leather, Menthol, Oak, Pleasantly Sour, Resin, Roasted, Smoke, Sugarcane, Sweet, Tobacco

Preparation
Boiling 0 min, 15 sec 7 g 3 OZ / 100 ML
awilsondc

Excellent tasting note! Makes me want to try some!

Haveteawilltravel

I highly recommend it :)

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Comments

awilsondc

Excellent tasting note! Makes me want to try some!

Haveteawilltravel

I highly recommend it :)

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Young and experienced Tea consumer. I’m continuously learning and developing knowledge about tea. If I have learned anything at all from the world of tea it is that I do not know anything about the world of tea. I enjoy good tea, and I try to acquire the best of the best. I usually brew gongfu but I’ve been known from time to time to resort back to western brewing.

I have an Instagram (haveteawilltravel), and I am proud of my photographs. I use my pictures in my reviews,and I hope that they aid in portraying the beauty of tea and teaware.

https://www.instagram.com/haveteawilltravel/?hl=en

Tea Rating System:
I rate my teas based on the category they fall into (Puer, Red, Oolong, Darjeeing, Flushes, Yancha… etc.)
This means that I will rate a Oolong based on how it stands up as a quality Oolong. I try not to compare teas, rather I work to evaluate them on their craftsmanship, harvest, processing, and qi.

I am most strict with Shou and Sheng Puerh, only because of the vast expanse of various experiences, such as; region, vintage, production, processing, etc.

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